WBE Canada Launches Supplier Diversity Toolkit for Corporate and Government Members

For immediate release

Women Business Enterprises Canada Council (WBE Canada) is excited to announce the launch of the latest addition to its growing list of resources for its Corporate Members committed to diversifying their supply chains – Supplier Diversity Toolkit.

WBE Canada partnered with Jamie Crump, the CEO of The Richwell Group and Author of Backstage Pass: Pulling the Curtain Back on the Business of Supplier Diversity on the development of the Supplier Diversity Toolkit. Jamie Crump currently supports WBE Canada Corporate Member organizations through Supplier Diversity Accelerator – customized training and consulting services designed to propel supplier diversity forward in the Canadian market.

The Supplier Diversity Toolkit was developed to provide organizations on their supplier diversity journey with foundational steps and resources to simplify the implementation for them. It is designed to provide WBE Canada Corporate Members with tools and resources for the development of Supplier Diversity Programs. In addition to video tutorials and templates, Toolkit also features case studies from corporations and government organizations with existing supplier diversity initiatives.

Supplier Diversity Toolkit was first introduced during Members Forum on October 6th as 24 out of WBE Canada’s 55 Corporate Members discussed the implementation of supplier diversity initiatives into their existing procurement processes. During this full-day workshop organizations were able to exchange ideas, discuss challenges they are facing during the implementation process and get the necessary support to move their initiatives to yet another level.

“I am so proud to have been a part of the conceptualization and implementation of the Supplier Diversity Toolkit. In addition to the Accelerator Program and Supplier Diversity Data Services, WBE Canada has created best in class, hands-on resources for corporations and government organizations of all sizes who understand the importance of diversifying their supply chains and the growth of women-owned businesses”, said Jamie Crump. “The research and business data shows that supplier diversity is going to play a crucial role in Canada’s economic recovery. A successful supplier diversity business strategy provides competitive pricing, innovation, and higher retention of both customers and talent. The Supplier Diversity Toolkit will help those that recognize this and support them in their journey to include more diverse suppliers in their supply chain.”

“It has been reaffirmed and reiterated time and again that supplier diversity is going to play a crucial role in Canada’s economic recovery. Moreover, it is what we need to make our supply chains innovative, creative and diverse. The Supplier Diversity Toolkit will help those that recognize this and support them in their journey to include more diverse suppliers in their supply chain”.

“We are excited to introduce this important resource. The Supplier Diversity Toolkit breaks the implementation process into simple 5 steps that are much easier to follow than any generic ideas out there. While Supplier Diversity Toolkit launched earlier this month, it is far from being complete”, said Silvia Pencak, President & CEO of WBE Canada. “While the content and guidelines are there, this resource is designed as a work in progress. It is developed as a peer shared space with our Members sharing their own resources that worked for them and might be hugely beneficial to other organizations. This way we are lowering the cost of supplier diversity efforts – why reinvent the wheel if there already is a resource available, right? I want to thank members of our Business Development Committee who were a driving force behind the idea and implementation of this resource. Once again, it is proven that collaboration helps us move in the right direction.”

WBE Canada is a leading Canadian supplier diversity council working closely with its Corporate Members to support their supplier diversity program development and continuous improvement. Existing support programs include Supplier Diversity Accelerator, Supplier Diversity Data Services, WBE Canada Toolbox and many others.

ABOUT WBE CANADA

Women Business Enterprises Canada Council (WBE Canada) is a Canadian non-profit organization working closely with corporations and government organizations advocating for inclusion of Canadian Women Business Enterprises (WBEs) in supply chains across Canada and abroad. To ensure diversity in supply chains WBE Canada works closely with its Corporate member organizations to provide necessary training and support to help establish and develop supplier diversity initiatives. Explore the benefits of WBE Canada Corporate membership here.

Media inquiries: Sharon Ferdinands, Manager, Marketing and Communications, marketing@wbecanada.ca